RICS has named Penarth Pier Pavilion as Project of the Year at the RICS Awards Grand Final held at the Savoy Hotel in London last Friday. The RICS Awards celebrate the most inspirational initiatives and developments in land, property, construction and the environment. George Clarke HonRICS, Channel 4’s Restoration Man, hosted the event, which also saw category awards presented for building conservation, community benefit, design and innovation, and regeneration.
Penarth Pier Pavilion is a fully restored Art Deco Pier Pavilion, refurbished by R&M Williams for Penarth Arts and Crafts Limited. The Pavilion is a multi-functional building incorporating a gallery, cinema, cafe and restaurant that opened to the public in December 2013. The state of the art Pavilion offers exciting exhibitions, films and a full events schedule including live music and locally sourced food and drink that can be enjoyed by the general public.
RICS Judges said: “Penarth Pier Pavilion is an outstanding project which combines building conservation with community benefit.”
Originally built in 1929 it fell into complete disrepair but has been carefully restored retaining the original features of the design. Its setting is unique. The new use retains the cinema and ballroom, to which have been added a gallery, café, and learning space which is at the heart of the educational activities. The observatory (Room 617) is dedicated to Guy Gibson and is a meeting place for victims of post-traumatic stress disorder.
RICS President, Louise Brooke-Smith, commented: “Penarth Pier Pavilion serves every part of the community, generates business and restores civic pride.The RICS Awards pay tribute to the skills and expertise of professionals working across all sectors of the built environment. The standard set by the shortlisted projects was extremely high; each one is an example of how property professionals with inspirational schemes, large or small, can transform our lives, communities and environment.”
Grand Final category winners for the 2014 RICS Awards
Building Conservation
Winner: Porthmeor Artists’ Studios and Fishermen’s Cellars, St Ives
Highly Commended: Ashdown House, Berkshire
Community Benefit
Winner: Mansfield Public Transport Interchange, Mansfield
Highly Commended: Knockando Woolmill, Speyside
Design through Innovation
Winner: The Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth
Highly Commended: Saffron Hall, Essex
Regeneration
Winner: Jaguar Land Rover, Wolverhampton
Highly Commended: Doncaster Civic & Cultural Quarter, Doncaster
Penarth Pier Pavilion and the other successful 2014 projects join an elite group of past winners including St Paul’s Cathedral, St Pancras station in London, Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, the Eden Project in Cornwall and the site of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.
